Henry Cejudo will make his professional boxing debut on Sept. 26 in Miami, and Javon Walton is the man stepping in opposite him. The former two-division UFC champion is set to face Walton in the main event of Misfits Boxing inside James L. Knight Arena.
That makes Walton a timely search topic for one simple reason: he is the 20-year-old actor and boxer now tied to Cejudo’s first fight in the ring. Walton, best known for playing Ashtray in the HBO series Euphoria, turned professional in 2023 and has built a 3-0-1 record with one knockout. He is signed to Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions, which said Misfits put up a significant financial guarantee to bring him in on short notice.
Walton said the bout arrived without warning and that he stepped up without hesitation. He also said he knows the level he is walking into, calling Cejudo an Olympic gold medalist and a former UFC champion. For Walton, the assignment fits a career that has already moved quickly from acting fame to pro boxing, with two wins in December 2024 and September 2025 adding to the profile he is carrying into Miami.
The change also leaves behind a quieter piece of the story. Cejudo was first due to face Nurideen Shabazz, also known as Dean the Great, but Shabazz withdrew because of injury. Cejudo has said he expected that exit, while Walton has been framed by his camp as the kind of replacement a short-notice card needs when a name fight is on the line.
What happens next is fixed now: Cejudo’s boxing debut will be measured not against the opponent he first expected, but against Walton, a 20-year-old who has already been asked to turn opportunity into proof. If Walton can handle that stage, the night in Miami will do more than fill a vacant slot. It will announce him as more than a late replacement and give Cejudo a first answer to the only question that matters in a new sport — whether the debut was chosen well.
